Folding sectional top utility table



Oct. 6, 1953 Filed June 17, 1952 T. L. MURRAY FOLDING SECTIONAL TOPUTILITY TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. THOMAS L. MU QIQAY Oct 1953 T.MURRAY FOLDING SECTIONAL -TOP UTILITY TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June1'7, 1952 MR n E M. V m NM m 5 m Z0 m 5 m o W A T W H w Y M;

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 NT OF F ICE 2,654,647 FOLDIN G SECTIONAL TOPUTILITY'TABLE Thomas L. Murray, ra'n'ge, N.- J. Application June 17,1952,-ScrialNo.*293,927

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to table construction,'and more particularly, hasreference to a collapsible table which can be used as a game table,general utility table, or for any other purpose desired.

The table which I have designed, described briefly, includes a series ofsegmental section's having side edges disposed radially of the' tablewhen the table is unfolded for use. The side edges of adjacent sectionsare hingedly connected, with the exception of those sections disposed atthe respective ends of the series of sections, said end sections being'rel'easably latched together when the table is set up. The hingeconnections between adjacent sectionsare's'o arranged as to permit allthe component sections of the table to be folded in superposed relationin the collapsed condition of th'e'table, thus to cause the folded tableto occupy a relatively small area and permit its storage in asmall'space.

In carrying out the invention, I propose 'toattain the followingobjects:

First, the provisionof a table of the type stated that will occupy aspace, when folded, no greater in depth than the combined thicknesses ofthe several table sections, and no greater in breadth than the area of asingle section;

Second, the provision of a table wherein the folding and unfoldingoperations can be carried out with maximum speed and facility;

Third, the provision of a table which will have a top area, whenunfolded, that 'is unusually large in comparison to the amount of spaceoccupied by the table when it is folded; and

Fourth, the provision of acollapsible table that 'c'anbe manufactured ata relativelylow cost, considering the desirable characteristics thereofnoted above.

Other objects will appear from'the following description, the claimsappended thereto, "and from the annexed drawing, in which like ref-"erence characters designate like parts throu htable unfolded, on anenlarged scale;

Figure -6 is a section'on line "6-=B'of Figure Figure '7 is afragmentary bottom plan view, I

2 showing the table unfolded, the scale being-enlarged still further,the view illustrating-a latch means embodied inthe construction; and

Figure '8 is a fragmentary perspective view, the scalebein'g greatlyenlarged, showing the details of 'a double hing embodied in'the tableconstruction.

"The table which I have devised may be considered as having incorporatedtherein two'main assemblies. One of these is 'a top assembly andcomprises a plurality of top sections designated generally at Iii.Theothe'r isa leg structure and comprises a plurality of legs designatedgenerally by the reference numeral '1 2.

Considering first the construction of the top assembly,"the formation'ofeach section is of importance, "and as will be observed from the severalfigures of the drawing, each section is, in the i1- lustrated embodimentof the invention, formed to a segmental shape-and has the outerconfiguration of anisosceles triangle. In thi connection, although theouter edges of the several'sections are shown as "straight, giving theunfolded table top a hexagonal outer configuration, said outer edgesmight well be curved in commercial embodiments of the invention, so asto impart to the unfolded table a circular outer configuration when thetable is viewed in top plan. "Other shapes might be given to the tablewith equal facility, I believe, without departing from the spirit of theinvention as claimed hereinafter. For example, octagonal or square outershapes might be used.

In "any event, in the illustrated example, each section includes a flat,triangular body It, having a straight outer or base edge, and havingstraight side edges converging toward one'another to meet at the apex ofthe triangular body, or stated otherwise, at the center point of theunfolded table. The side edges of each of the several plate-like bodies54 are incontact with the adjacent side edges of those bodies M disposedat 'eitherside th'ereof'whe'n the table is set up.

The-plate-like bodies of the table, in the present instance, includealong the severaledges thereof bas'e'reinforcing members i 6 and'sidereinforcing member is, secured fixedly to the under sides of saidbodies. If the bodies are of substantial thickness, the reinforcingmembers 'might'well be omitted entirely.

If the table is to be usedas a game'tablasuch as a card table, each bodyI4 can have formed in its upper surface an elongated chip well 20, andashtray'and glass wells 22 (Figures 5and *6') In this event, the gametable 'can'be still avail- 3 able for general utility purposes byproviding an insert 24 adapted to be placed within and fill the well 20,and inserts 26 adapted to be positioned within the wells 22.

As will be noted from Figure 3, the several table sections are arrangedas an articulated series, in which the sections are hingedly connectedfor relative swinging movement about axes disposed radially of the tabletop. Two of the sections comprise end sections, these being the sectionsshown at the top and bottom in Figures 3 and 4. The remaining sectionsmay be termed intermediate sections, and can be provided in any numberdesired, four being illustrated by way of example.

Alternate hinge connections of the sections are of the double hingetype, as shown at 28, the hinge axes of the double hinges 28 beingextended in the plane of the top surfaces of the table sections. Thosehinge connections intervening be tween the double hinge connections areof the single hinge type, as shown at 3B, the hinge axes of the singlehinges being extended in the plane of the bottom surfaces of the tablesections.

By reason of this arrangement, the several sections can be successivelyfolded, to be collapsed from their fully unfolded position shown in Fiure 1, to their fully folded position shown in Figure 4, Figure 3showing the sections in an intermediate position during the foldingoperation. In folding the sections, one end section is folded over ontothe intermediate section to which it is hingedly connected, along thehinge axis of the double hinge 28 connecting said end section to saidintermediate section. These sections are then folded under the nextadjacent section, about the axis defined by the single hinge 3 Theoperation is then continued until the sections have been fully folded insuperposed relation, at which time they will appear as shown in Figure4, with all their several edges flush. The total thickness of thecollapsed table, as will be noted, is no greater than the combinedthicknesses of the folded sections.

When the table is to be unfolded and set up, the operation is carriedout in reverse until the sections appear as in Figure 2. A latch meansis then employed to rigidify the double hinge connections, and also toconnect the abutting end sections, to prevent accidental collapsing ofthe table structure.

The latch means includes a pair of latch members 32 associated with eachdouble hinge connection, and associated also with the free side edges ofthe end sections. The latch members are of hook shape at one end, andare pivoted intermediate their ends on pivot pins 34 spacedlongitudinally of, and depending from the under side of selectedsections of the table. The hooks are engageable with latch pins 36 ofthe next adjacent section.

Each pair of latch members is provided with a connecting rod 38,pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the other ends of the latchmembers, and connecting the latch members of a pair for joint swingingmovement about their pivots 3s. A spring 1!) is then attached at one endto that latch member nearest the apex of the section, and at its otherend to the apex portion of the section, and normally biases theconnected latch members to positions in which they are engaged with thelatch pins 35.

By reason of this arrangement, the several sections are held in acoplanar relationship when the table is unfolded, since the locations ofthe single hinge connections are such as will cause the side edges ofthe sections joined by single hinges to abut against one another, toprevent collapsing of the sections at the location of the single hinges.The latch members, meanwhile, will prevent collapsing at the location ofthe double hinges.

One of the several pairs of latch members is utilized to connect thefree side edges of the end sections, to prevent collapsing at thispoint.

When the sections have been fully unfolded, the legs l2, which arehingedly connected to selected ones of the sections, are swungdownwardly to table-top-supporting positions.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a folding table top assembly, at least one pair of top sectionshingedly connected for relative swinging movement between selectedextreme positions in one of which said sections are folded in superposedrelationship, and in the other of which they are unfolded and aredisposed in a common plane to form a flat table top, the axis ofswinging movement of said sections lying in a plane common to saidfirst-named plane when the sections are unfolded; and latch means forlocking the sections in their unfolded position, including a pluralityof hook-like latch members spaced longitudinally of said axis andpivotally mounted on one of the sections to swing within a planesubstantially common to that of the plane of the opposite faces of theunfolded sections, means on the other section engageable by said latchmembers in one position to which the latch members are swung, to lockthe sections in their unfolded position, a rod extending between thelatch members to connect the same for joint swinging movement, andyielding means connected to the latch members and to said one sectionrespectively, and tensioned to normally bias the latch members to saidlocking position thereof.

2. In a folding table top assembly, at least one pair of top sectionshingedly connected for relative swinging movement between selectedextreme positions in one of which said sections are folded in superposedrelationship, and in the other of which they are unfolded and lie in acommon plane to form a fiat table top, the hinge axis of said sectionslying in a plane common to said first-named plane when the sections areunfolded; and latch means for locking the sections in their unfoldedposition including a plurality of hook-like latch members spacedlongitudinally of said axis and pivotally mounted on one of the sectionsfor swinging movement within a plane parallel to the first-named plane,spaced latch pins on the other section engageable by said latch membersin one position to which the latch members are swung, to lock thesections in their unfolded position, a rod extending between andpivotally connected at its opposite ends to the respective latch membersto link the same for 5 6 joint swinging movement, and a spring connectedNumber Name Date to the latch members and to said one section re-309,738 Pell Dec. 23, 1884 spectively and tensioned to normally bias the609,592 Shultz Aug. 23, 1898 latch members to said locking positionthereof. 927,773 Buel July 13, 1909 THOMAS L. MURRAY. 5 1,147,353Zelenak July 20, 1915 1,618,327 Dewey Feb. 22, 1927 References Cited inthe file of this patent 2,3 1,793 Weber 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTS2,342,591 McLean Feb. 22, 1944 Number Name Date 2,451,763 Mlsko Oct. 19,1948 155,511 Farrar Sept 29 1874 10 2,592,032 Henderson 1 1952

